Choice Review

Leaman (philosophy, Liverpool John Moores Univ.) traces the trajectory of Jewish philosophical and theological thinking about the problem of undeserved suffering, from the biblical Book of Job through post-Holocaust theology. Along the way, he explores the works of Philo, Maimonides, Gersonides, Spinoza, Mendelssohn, Buber, Wiesel, and others on the problem of evil. Leaman demonstrates how the problems raised by Job persist, and he carefully documents how later thinkers build on, reinterpret, qualify, or reject various theodicies proposed by earlier writers. A minor criticism of this important and interesting book is that it requires the reader to have some previous background in Jewish history and philosophy. Leaman, no doubt for the sake of brevity and clarity, gives his reading of each Jewish thinker he examines without offering fuller excerpts from the original texts. More extensive quotations would assist the layperson in grasping the way each author develops his argument, as well as provide support for Leaman's interpretations. Upper-division undergraduate; graduate; faculty. J. S. Kaminsky; St. Olaf College